1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to systems and methods for recording and playing audio descriptions of items. The audio descriptions can be used to describe items that are presented via the Internet.
2. Background of the Related Art
The Internet has many web pages that are devoted to describing particular items or areas of interest. This can include company and association web sites that provide information about a particular entity. Also, many businesses maintain and operate web sites that are designed to sell products and services. In all of these cases, the web sites are designed to describe items, products and services.
In addition, certain services available over the Internet allow private individuals to place items for sale over the Internet. This can include auction sites that allow people to sell items in an auction fashion, as well as traditional classified advertisements. Typically, such services will allow a seller to register a sale item using an Internet web site. The seller will provide a text description of the item, and in some instances, the seller may also be able to provide a graphical file that shows a picture of the item.
The invention is a system and method for allowing users to record audio descriptions of items, products, services, or even businesses that are presented on Internet web sites maintained by content providers. The audio recordings are then placed on a server, in a suitable electronic format, so that the audio recordings can be accessed by the content provider, or by an end user, and played to a user accessing the web sites.
For instance, a system and method embodying the invention allows a seller placing an item for sale on an Internet web site to provide an audio description of the item, in addition to providing a text description and/or providing a picture of the item. Similarly, businesses can record audio descriptions of items presented on an Internet web site that can then be played to users accessing the web site. The use of a separate service for recording the audio descriptions and making them available over the Internet eliminates the need for an individual or a small business to invest in the equipment and associated training that would enable them to create their own recordings.
A system embodying the invention can include an interactive voice response (IVR) system that allows a user to call a telephone number using a standard telephone. Once the user connects with the IVR system, the user would interact with the system to record, edit, or re-record an audio description. The process would typically include providing an item number, and/or a user identification number, and/or a password. This would allow the IVR system to store the audio description against some type of control number. The user identification number and/or password would allow the IVR system to verify that a caller is authorized to make or edit a recording.
An audio recording could also be created using a personal computer with audio capabilities. In this instance, the personal computer could interface with an IVR system similar to those used with telephone systems, or with an Internet server that includes an interface for recording the audio descriptions. In either event, the user would respond to prompts to record and/or edit an audio recording. The prompts could be audio prompts, a graphical interface, or a combination of a graphical interface and audio prompts.
A system embodying the invention would then store the audio recording in one or more electronic files that are accessible to a content provider, or the end user. If the content provider is an Internet based service, this could include storing files on a server that is accessible over the Internet. In some embodiments, the electronic files would be stored on a server associated with a separate IVR system. In other embodiments, the files could be transferred to a server associated with the content provider. The IVR system might also convert an audio recording into an electronic file format that allows the recording to be easily accessed and played by users accessing a content provider.
Because audio recordings can be stored against a predefined control number, an IVR System configured to record audio descriptions can be easily configured to work with existing content provider web sites. For instance, a content provider such as a listing service is likely to already be assigning some type of control number to each of the items presented via the service. An IVR system embodying the invention can be configured to store audio recordings for the items in electronic files that reflect the control numbers already assigned by the listing service. Thus, a listing service need only add a play item or icon to its existing Internet interface to begin using the audio descriptions. The listing service need not make any other changes to its existing numbering scheme, and the associated software. This allows an IVR system embodying the invention to be easily integrated with existing content providers, and it allows the IVR system to provide audio descriptions for items that have already been placed on a content provider""s web site.
When a user who has accessed a content provider""s web site is viewing an item, the user would be able to select an option that would cause the content provider to access the audio recording files and to play the audio recording over the user""s computer. This could include selecting an icon that appears on the user""s computer screen. Alternatively, selecting the play option offered by a content provider could cause the user""s computer to directly access files stored at a separate location, such as an IVR system server, to play the audio recording.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.